CDM Dispatch, ten years of underground production.

Real-time LHD coordination at Cullinan Diamond Mine. Laravel + Livewire on IIS, SQL Server with dual-database isolation, MQTT over the underground WiFi. Four active mining levels, 24/7/365, active SLA with Petra Diamonds. Built with Graybeard Solutions.

Talk to us

What we built

CDM Dispatch is a real-time digital command centre for underground mining operations at Cullinan Diamond Mine. It coordinates LHD fleets across four active mining levels, replacing the radio calls, whiteboards, and shift-end spreadsheets that used to carry dispatch information by hand. The platform has run continuously for roughly a decade — three shifts a day, every day, under active SLA.

  • Real-time LHD tracking

    Every LHD across the four active mining levels is tracked live — position, fuel gauge, operator on shift, load-in-bucket status. RFID readers installed throughout the tunnels confirm position automatically, and the dispatcher dashboard refreshes every 20 seconds. Critical events surface immediately.

  • Draw-point control

    Every draw point carries a current status — blocked or unblocked — with structured reasons for the block, and a running history of loads tipped. Tunnel layouts and blocked areas are visible to the dispatcher; dump-tip status is held with seven days of rolling history so the supervisor can see the recent picture, not just the snapshot.

  • Two-way operator messaging

    Dispatchers and operators exchange messages tied to specific locations — safety alerts and production updates. Every thread keeps its full history. Sent and read status are tracked on every message so a safety instruction is never assumed to have landed when it hasn't.

  • Shift-aware data

    Three shifts run the operation — 06:00–14:00, 14:00–22:00, 22:00–06:00 — and the system respects those boundaries throughout. Production targets, load counts, and dispatch orders reset automatically at shift changeover, and every load and message is attributed to the operator and shift that owned it.

  • Hardware integration

    A two-way MQTT data flow links the dispatch platform to underground LHDs over the mine's WiFi network. Hydraulic sensors detect bucket tilt and boom lift; RFID readers in the tunnels confirm machine position; IFM HMI touchscreen panels in each LHD cab are the operator's interface. The on-machine hardware, the MQTT server infrastructure, and the HMI panels were delivered by Graybeard Solutions.

  • Dual-write reliability

    Dispatch orders and messages are written to both the mine's draw-control network and the SQL Server database, so a partial outage in one path doesn't cost production data. Manual backdated entries support recovery once connectivity returns. The platform has survived database downtime, network outages, and equipment upgrades over its ten years in service.

CDM Dispatch mine map (morning shift) — North/South Double Pass with draw-point status, available tonnes and draw points CDM Dispatch LHD status grid — every machine across the fleet at a glance CDM Dispatch mine map detail — draw-point grid with status markers CDM Dispatch two-way operator messaging — dispatcher/operator threads tied to specific LHDs CDM Dispatch detailed load/dump table — load level/tunnel/point, dump weight and time per machine IFM HMI on-machine touchscreen — boom sensor pressure fault state in an LHD cab IFM HMI on-machine touchscreen — diesel level reading (75%) in an LHD cab

Outcomes

10+ years

In production

4

Active mining levels

24/7/365

Coverage

Common questions

How long has the system been running?
CDM Dispatch was deployed roughly a decade ago and has run 24 hours a day, three shifts a day, ever since. There is an active SLA with Petra Diamonds and ongoing development still flows into it. Over those ten years the platform has survived database downtime, network outages, equipment upgrades, mine expansions, and personnel changes — every status change, message, and load from that period is still traceable in the audit trail.
How does shift changeover work?
The mine runs three shifts — 06:00–14:00, 14:00–22:00, 22:00–06:00 — and the system respects those boundaries throughout. Production targets, load counts, and dispatch orders reset automatically at shift changeover. All time calculations, reporting boundaries, and data aggregation honour the same shift windows, so the incoming dispatcher sees exactly where the outgoing shift left off rather than a clock-based slice that cuts across the handover.
What stack runs in production?
Laravel with Livewire for the application layer, hosted on IIS on Windows. SQL Server underneath, with a dual-database design that separates the authentication database from the operations database. MQTT carries two-way data between the surface and the underground LHDs. The whole platform installs as a Progressive Web App with service-worker support. The stack reflects the system's vintage — it has been running for about a decade, and the technology choices match that era.
What happens when the network drops?
Dispatch orders and messages are written to both the mine's draw-control network and the SQL Server database, so a partial outage on either path doesn't lose production data. The Progressive Web App preserves basic access during network interruptions. When connectivity returns, manual backdated entries support recovery so the audit trail can be reconciled. In ten years of continuous operation the platform has survived database downtime, network outages, and equipment upgrades.
How is the partnership with Graybeard Solutions structured?
CDM Dispatch is an equal-partner delivery between two specialist companies. Strata Logic built the web dispatch platform — the data layer, dispatch logic, dashboards, reporting, and the complete audit trail. Graybeard Solutions designed, built, and installed the on-machine hardware, the MQTT server infrastructure, and the IFM HMI touchscreen panels in each LHD cab.
Why dual database?
The authentication database is kept separate from the operations database for security and isolation. A compromise of the operations layer doesn't leak credentials, and an authentication failure doesn't cascade into operations data. Role-based access — dispatcher, admin, supervisor, and a no-authentication public kiosk display — sits on the authentication side. Operational state stays on its own database, isolated from identity concerns.

Stack & partnership

Strata Logic designed and built the dispatch management platform — the web application, the data layer, the dispatch logic, the dashboards, the reporting, and the complete audit trail. The stack is Laravel with Livewire on IIS, SQL Server with a dual-database design that separates authentication from operations, MQTT for real-time messaging between surface and underground, and a Progressive Web App with service-worker support for installable access. The platform has carried a decade of production load.

Hardware integration, MQTT broker infrastructure, and the IFM HMI panels in LHD cabs were delivered by Graybeard Solutions. Equal-partner delivery.

Holding for ten years in an underground mine looks unglamorous in practice. Databases go down and orders still reach machines through the dual-write path. Networks drop and the Progressive Web App keeps basic access alive until connectivity returns. Equipment is upgraded, levels are expanded, dispatchers and supervisors come and go — and every assignment, every message, and every load from the past decade is still traceable in the audit trail. That is what continuous production looks like from the software side.

Want this capability built for your operation? See Mining Dispatch Systems →

Got a dispatch project to scope?

Talk to us